“A dauntless dame” is how CNEWA’s Michael La Civita described the indefatigable Carol Hunnybun in 1994. She joined CNEWA in Beirut in 1963, and eventually served with Helen Breen as administrators of our Jerusalem office from 1966 until 1982.
In an interview, she was asked about one corner of that world that has become a flashpoint for war and suffering, Gaza:
“I used to go down to Gaza once a week. I hated the place. It’s a horrible place. So much human misery; so much dirt; there are no drains in the camps. In the summer it’s not so bad; everything dries up. But in winter when the sand becomes muddy and greasy, you can imagine what it’s like.”
Before the troubles, she added, Gaza had fertile soil, beautiful orange groves and abundant vegetable gardens. But this changed “when all you have is thousands of refugees and ghastly living conditions.”
Over the years, Carol Hunnybun contributed several articles to the magazine, always writing about CNEWA’s world with candor, compassion and grace. In 1979, she captured the essence of CNEWA’s mission, as she described one facility in Bethlehem which CNEWA supported:
Three groups have joined together, and they have achieved great things. Each group brings a gift. First there are the committee members and the staff: their gift is dedication. Then there are the patients: their gift is courage. The donors are next: their gift is love. The gifts form a triple bond that unites all three and fires the Home with a special spirit. By these gifts and with God’s help, miracles still happen in Bethlehem.
Thanks to Carol Hunnybun and countless other heroes like her, miracles still happen in every corner of our world.